Dancing at Lughnasa

In the time ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was set Gerry and Chris’s relationship would have been extremely unorthodox and would have circulated a lot of town gossip. Having a child out of wedlock was extremely shocking and making the decision to then keep Michael even more so. In 1936 women had very few rights and with the shock of Michael being born only the towns respect for their brother, a missionary, kept them from being societal lepers. Friel presents the relationship between Gerry and Chris by using stage directions to show the true feelings between them and how their relationship is sustained.Having Gerry and Chris talking in the garden while the four other sisters are inside listening intently shows how little privacy the two have in their relationship. When Gerry first arrives Chris appears extremely cold and offhand in front of him using one word answers ‘Chris: Hello, Gerry†¦ yes†¦yes. ’ All of this gives the impression that she has very little time for him and doesn’t particularly care about him. However Friel’s staging shows the audience that she really does care because we see her reaction before Gerry comes on stage.Friel portrays her as standing stock still in shock then, when coming to her senses, rushing around panicking, ‘adroitly adjusts her hair and clothes. ’ It is the panic before the extract that shows her much Chris truly does care about Gerry and also about how little the sisters have in their lives due to the their scramble to make themselves presentable.This highlights how Gerry is a key romantic figure in the play because even though all the while the sisters are saying ‘Kate: He won’t stay the night here’ and ‘Rose: I hate him!’ they still all end up crowding around the window to listen in and watch, suggesting that though disapproving they still half wish to be in Chris’s shoes. The social constraints of the situation lead them t o wanting Gerry out of the families lives, but still the desire is there through the constant comments. These comments are key to the suggestion of an invasion of privacy, ‘Maggie: you should see the way she’s looking at him†¦Kate: they’re not still talking are they?’Friel is trying to show how hard it must be for Gerry and Chris to live in such an enclosed area where everyone knows everyone’s business, thus exploring a theme of romance, or lack of romance. This is continued throughout the extract, the fact that Gerry never visits ‘Chris: 13 months’ making the relationship seem very one sided – Chris remembering the last visit to the day while Gerry can’t remember the month. Gerry proposes to Chris at the very end of the extract and this gives a sign that maybe he does care about her.Even though Chris turns him down there is still the slight remembrance of this moment throughout the rest of the play, leading to the au diences opinion that maybe Gerry does truly care for Chris despite leaving her alone with child. However through Michael’s narrative closer to the end of the play in the second act we find out that Gerry already had ‘a wife and three grown children’, Friel choosing to leave this revelation till the end to produce a far more dramatic climax to their relationship. It is then that the audience realises that Gerry never intended to marry Chris and only offered in the knowledge that she would refuse.This all gives the impression that there is never any real closeness or intimacy for the two of them and the whole summer of happiness before, ‘suddenly he takes her in his arms and dance. ’ was a lie. A large influence on Friel when writing ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was the changing role of women in society. Thatcher had just been Prime Minister and women’s rights were becoming much more accepted in the 1990’s, perhaps why Friel chose t o make this such a large part of the play. Set in 1936 the Mundy sisters would not have been at all accepted by society with Chris having Michael out of wedlock and then deciding to keep him.Changing attitudes within society would have influenced Friel’s interpretation of Chris and Gerry’s relationship. Friel depicted this family as an example of what is yet to come, the sisters supported Chris throughout and after her pregnancy even though it went against societies beliefs, thus inflicting Chris’s embarrassment upon themselves as well yet still sticking together as a family. Friel emphasizes that women should have the right to do as they please through the disruption of outside influences.At the beginning of the play the sisters are happy in their little bubble making jokes about the outside world ‘Maggie: steady on girl, today its lipstick; tomorrow it’s the gin bottle’ although never participating in it. It’s when they begin to allo w others into their circle that things begin to go down hill for them. Before Gerry’s arrival they were all dancing and laughing but his arrival marked a change for them all, Friel perhaps suggesting that women don’t need the influences of men and all they bring with them is destruction.Danny Bradley and Rose are another example of this, the death of Rose’s defenceless white rooster is symbolic of mans predatory nature and the violence of this act implies violence between Rose and Bradley. Therefore Friel is portraying women as stronger without the male interference, Chris and Gerry’s relationship is used to highlight this as it is obvious to the audience that Chris would have been better off without Gerry in the first place but it is this continued procrastinating relationship that truly destroys her.The audience views Chris and Gerry’s relationship with trepidation throughout the play due to Friel’s depiction of him as a stereotypical woma niser. Kate calls him a ‘Loafer! Wastrel! ’ but conveniently neglects to mention the obvious charisma he has. In a short few minutes of conversation he has turned Chris from cold and unwelcoming ‘Chris: Thirteen months. ’ To one who is warm and laughing and allows Gerry to ‘dance her lightly, elegantly across the garden. ’ The audience views this exchange with surprise having heard only very negative things about Gerry from the sisters; the easy acceptance from Chris confuses them.The audience’s mistrust of Gerry’s character increases after the small discussion of Agnes between the two. Having already seen Agnes’s rigid, almost forced disinterest in Gerry, and then to have Gerry asking specifically after her Friel creates a slight unease for the audience, suggesting that something may have between the two of them. This leads to the audience beginning to see the cracks in the family’s foundations with Gerry seemingly at the centre of this. Friel enforces this idea of him being a womaniser later in act 2 when he begins to flirt with Agnes ‘Gerry: Dance with me Agnes.’ and then kisses her forehead, all of this watched by Chris.The audience begins to really mistrust Gerry at this point as it is obvious that he is the cause of conflict between the family they have come to love. The audience is seeing men in a bad light which relates to the feelings at the time it was being performed when the term ‘glass ceiling’ was coming into existence, women in the workplace being oppressed by men and now, in the play, them to being oppressed in relationships. There is the feeling that men can get away with any sort of misdemeanour by just walking away, leaving, whereas women i.e.Chris, are always left with the result – a baby. Gerry’s carrying on represents this stereotypical male so that when the audience discovers that Gerry in fact has ‘a wife and three grown chil dren’ it comes as no surprise. In conclusion, Friel presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship as something parallel to that of a pre 1990’s relationship. He wants to suggest to the audience that women no need longer depend on men by showing how much better off the Mundy sisters were before the arrival of Gerry and the conflict he brought within the family.Although the influences on Friel were all about the empowerment of women, he presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship with Gerry as the dominant figure, putting the play in the context of its setting and to show how the male dominance was a cause of the family breaking down. Through his presentation of the relationship he is evoking the idea that there are more possibilities available to an empowered women rather than a dominated one.

Project Risk Management – Holyrood Project

Project Risk Management| M3N313401-12-B| Group report    Jenna McCall : S1O21235 Adelle Kelly : S1023858 Angela Mitchell : S1034517 Luciano Farias : S1306729 Iaponaira de Abreu : S1306726| | | 5103 words Contents 1. Introduction 2. 1 Executive summary 2. Case study . What is project management 4. 2 Successful project management 4. 3 Risk management in projects 4. Project Scope 5. 4 Cost management 5. 5 Time management 5. 6 Project management tools 5. Stakeholder management 6. Conclusion 7. Recommendations 8. References 1. Introduction After the identification of the requirements of the Holyrood parliament building, responsibility for the construction of the project was handed over to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body in June 1999 which took place over the course of 5 years.A project goes through many phases throughout its lifecycle and can be deemed successful if implemented efficiently against initial objectives. This includes cost effective, quality management and co mpletion within the required time scale with the overall aim being to meet stakeholder’s objectives. A project that fails is said to be one that lacks quality, control and management. In order for project management to be effective, both strategic and operational strategies must be incorporated. 1. 1 Executive SummaryProject risk management is a systematic process concerned with reducing the risks and uncertainties involved in business activities, essential if a project is to achieve its objectives which typically include scope, time and cost. It is based on managing people so that a project can be actively managed reducing the risks that could occur. After the objectives have been defined, in order for appropriate risk management to be exercised, a traditional SWOT analysis should be conducted to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in the project.This report discusses the foundations of project management and indentifies the Political, Economic al, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal drivers that can influence project management. In order for the project team to achieve successful completion of the project against delivery time and budget they should follow four steps- identifying the objectives, the projects deliverables, and the schedule and supporting plans. Overall project risk management forms the basis of any successful project. It is used to identify the challenges that the project is particularly vulnerable to in order to ensure impact is minimised.It is vital that the project team makes effective use of risk management in order to manage unforeseen complication which could arise. The biggest challenge that projects face is the inadequate management of planning. Failed projects tend to be ones which over stretch budget, schedule and do not accomplish its desired purpose. 2. Case study The construction of the ‘Holyrood Parliament Building’ first began in June 1999, and the Scottish Parliament held their first debate in the building on 7th September 2004. The official opening of the new building was on 9th October 2004 and was opened by Queen Elizabeth.From when construction began in 1999 until the opening of the parliament building in 2004, the committee rooms and the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament were forced to hold their meetings in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland. Office and administrative accommodation which were supporting the Parliament were located in buildings leased from the City of Edinburgh Council. However, the new Scottish Parliament Building allowed the different sectors within the Parliament to amalgamate into the one parliament building. According to The BBC (2004), in the initial planning stages the predicted ? 0 million was set aside by the government to fund the project. This amount remained fixed until additional uncontrolled construction costs resulted in the project cost to increase to ? 109 million in June 1999 to a total cost of ? 414. 4 million which in turn resulted in a 20 month delay to the initial schedule. The BBC (2004) also suggested that the main cause of the delay in the project finalisation was due to the â€Å"production of detailed designed variations and the late supply of information during the construction process†. The deadlines which the project manager provided for the construction of the parliament building were very tight.The BBC (2004) argues that these deadlines did not reflect the complexity of the building which resulted in both architects and trade contractors failing to deliver critical foundations of the project therefore meaning the project timescale overrun. The project manager failed to realise the unlikelihood of the targets set being achievable and therefore failed to alter the timeline to reflect this. Also the project manager should have completed steps which would allow the realisation of the key problems which were in turn causing the negative eff ect on the project’s performance in both cost and time.The project manager should have never relied on assumptions when producing construction programmes which would have resulted in the estimations of cost and time to have been realistic and therefore would have prevented the project running over time and budget. 3. What is project management Project management â€Å"provides an integrated framework for project organisation, planning and control which is designed to: ensure the timely and cost effective production of all end products†. (Project Smart, 2013) It should be delivered within the defined scope, time, and budget.Overall, â€Å"at its most fundamental, project management is about people getting things done† (Barnes, APM President, 2013). The project management lifecycle goes through various stages before it is completed where each phase is measured against checklists to ensure operations are running according to plan. The initiation phase is the beginn ing of a projects lifecycle. This is a vital stage where ideas are explored and plans elaborated, allowing feasibility and resource requirements to be examined. This stage also allocates who will take charge of the process.This involves entrusting the entire project with the project manager where they will â€Å"cultivate the  people skills  needed to develop trust and communication among all of a project's stakeholders†. (PMI, 2013), coordinating the task against budget and delivery time. Once the project plan has been reviewed and approved by sponsors, the project enters the second stage: definition. This involves the identification of the expected outcome of the complete project. Typically, the execution phase is when resources are applied to the task.A list of requirements is drafted; suppliers and contractors are brought in alongside a schedule detailing the materials and resources needed. Followed by the monitoring and control process which involves the construction of the task measured against plans. The final stage in closing the project involves carrying out an evaluation which is vital as it â€Å"compares what has been accomplished (evidence) with what should have been accomplished (criteria) and then makes a judgment about how well it was done. † C. L. Taylor (1998). 4. Successful project management Successful projects are typically ones which are executed within the required time scale and do not exceed allocated resources. Therefore, a project will be deemed successful if it: delivers the outcome within required time and quality, remaining within cost of resources. There are 5 stages that contribute to project success: 1. Objectives 2. Stages 3. Organisation 4. Planning ; Control 5. Leadership ; Management Objectives – They truly define a project and make it something concrete rather than abstract.Stages – Projects step through different phases, such as the research and exploration phase, a decision phase, a planni ng and organising phase, an implementation phase, and then a closure phase. Organisation – Since projects naturally operate outside of normal hierarchy, perhaps even crossing boundaries, it is the Project Manager’s duty to set organizational foundations for it, or rather, a â€Å"chain of command†. Planning and control – No matter the project, whether a new building or a cultural change project, are always moving into uncertain regions through uncertain paths.Leadership and management – Required for a project to reach successful team development, by allowing negotiations and influences to occur. Successful project execution is also based largely on the role that the parties involved play in the management of operations. The relationship between the project team manager and how information is communicated, both internally and externally, to stakeholders is vital to its success including team members, sponsors and senior management.There is a great d eal of risk associated with the management of any project, organisations will often gain from the benefits when the project is completed. Increased risk management as risks will be defined and identified which can â€Å"promote an uninterrupted progression of the activities within the project and, by implementing the appropriate measures, remove any interruptions as quickly as possible†. (Well-Stam, 2004) 3. 2 Risk management in projects The bigger the project, the more complex it becomes to manage, accompanied with increased risk.Project risk management â€Å"is a structured process that allows individual risk events and overall project risk to be understood and managed proactively optimising project success by minimising threats and maximising opportunities. † (APM Body of Knowledge, 5th edition section 2. 5) To be fully effective, risk management in projects requires an understanding of how risk is managed as â€Å"the need to manage uncertainty is inherent in most projects that require formal project management. † (Chapman, et al. , 2003)It is essential to conduct a swot analysis 4. Project scope â€Å"A projects scope is the sum of the work content of a project† (Murray-Webster. R, and Simon. P, 2007). This suggests all the necessary elements which have to be completed in order to achieve the projects time, cost and quality objectives and success criteria. It is crucial that a project manager has a clear understanding of the projects initial scope. They would also be required to communicate this to the organisations team and all of their stakeholders.Any consequential changes can be managed which will allow the avoidance of ‘scope creep’. According to Cupe (2010), scope creep is when continuous growth occurs in a projects scope. This is initiated when project management fails to control changes in their necessary elements. Scope Management Scope management involves the identification and defining of all of the elem ents of the project scope and to ensure that the scope is continuously up-to-date. In turn this will help manage scope creep in a project.It is a project manager’s responsibility to protect scope and prevent the occurrence of scope creep. For effective scope management, project managers must control what is and what is not in the scope of the project (Project Smart, 2013). After a review of the project scope and in the event that it is no longer effective, a project manager may decide to implement changes into the process using a â€Å"change control process† (Murray-Webster. R, and Simon. P, 2007). 4. 1 Cost management â€Å"Cost management is the process by which companies control and plan the costs of doing business.Individual projects should have customised cost management plans, and companies as a whole also integrate cost management into their overall business model†. (wiseGeek, 2013). If applied correctly, cost management reduces costs of production for p roducts and services, as well as delivering products with increased value to the customer. For a project's management to be effective in general, cost management needs to be a prime feature. For instance, in the initial stages of a project, the predicted costs need to be identified and measured.It is imperative that these expenses are then approved before any purchasing occurs. Throughout the completion of a project, all incurred costs should be made note of and kept in record, thus ensuring that costs are under control and maintained in line with initial expectations, to the extent that this may be feasible. The major challenges involved in the Holyrood project arose from the failure to identify the scope of the project when initial plans were undertaken, ensued by scope creep in cost.The earliest cost estimates for the Scottish Parliament building, in 1997, initially stated that â€Å"Overall the capital costs of establishing the Scottish Parliament – purchasing and refitt ing the New Parliament House and other buildings – are estimated to be between ? 24. 5 and ? 34 million. † (White Paper on Scottish Devolution, April 1997. Section 11. 6) This amount remained static until June 1999 when it increased to ? 109 million due to additional uncontrolled construction costs, which escalated again in April 2000 to ? 97 million with the impact of inflation. In 2003, the cost had crept again to ? 359 million and to ? 414. 4million in 2004 resulting in a 20 month delay in schedule In May 2003, after the costs had skyrocketed and the public opinion of the project was very low, Jack McConnell, the First Minister, announced a public inquiry into the handling of the building project. He mentioned how he was â€Å"astonished that year after year the ministers who were in charge were kept so much in the dark over the increases in cost estimates. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005).He also stated that â€Å"a Parliament building of sufficient sc ale could never have been built for less than ? 50m, and was ‘amazed’ that the belief that it could be was perpetuated for so long. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005). Furthermore, â€Å"? 150m of the final cost was wasted as a result of design delays, over-optimistic programming and uncertain authority. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005) According to (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005), by early 2004, close to its inauguration, the estimated cost of the project was around ? 30 million. This generated great controversy, as one would expect, concerning possible waste of public money. The building was audited, following its completion, after which it was stated that â€Å"the main reasons for construction cost increases after 2000 were design development and delay in the construction process. The design development was entirely related to realising the detail of the building and aspects such as the quality of finish and the palette of materials that were used, in accordance with the client’s requirements. (The Auditor General Report June 2004, paragraph 10) One of the main conclusions found in the Holyrood Inquiry was that â€Å"whenever there was a conflict between quality and cost, quality was preferred. † (The Holyrood Project, p240). The project showcased what lack of proper project management and control will achieve. On the same audit as above, it was stated that â€Å"Although it is likely that a high quality building is being delivered, the time and cost objectives have not been met. The same quality could have been achieved for less if the whole design and construction process had been better executed. (The Auditor General Report June 2004, paragraph 10) The Scottish Office decided to â€Å"procure the construction work under a ‘construction management contract', rather than under a Private Finance Initiative, in order to speed construction, but without properly evaluating the financial risks of doing so, and – in a decision that Fraser stated ‘beggars belief' – without asking Ministers to approve it. † (Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005). This was one of the two most flawed decisions which the report singled out.The other was the insistence on a rigid programme: officials decided that rapid delivery of the new building was to be the priority, but that quality should be maintained. It was therefore inevitable that the cost would suffer. â€Å"In the Holyrood project the general approach was to accept cost increases and include them in the forecasts as the risks materialised. Since there was no agreed planned budget after June 2001, there was little evidence that forceful action was taken to prevent or reduce the increases in cost.Project management could have taken more action at an earlier stage to control expenditure on consultants. † (Audit Scotland, 2004). Before having consultants appointed, management of the project could have explore d alternative fee arrangements more carefully including financial incentives linked to delivering value for money. There was a limit placed on increases in consultants’ fees in 2003, but this was very late in the programme, after the fees had increased significantly. The agreement to the fee capping at this late stage in the project did not provide a timely incentive to onsultants to control costs and programme. Prior to fee capping in July and August 2003, there was no regular reporting of the significant expenditure on the Holyrood project. 4. 2 Time management Time management is also known as project planning and scheduling. Haugan (2002) defines this term as the planed date for performing activities, organized chronologically according to the phases of the project and with start and completion date established. He also states that it is not possible to control costs if the schedule is not met, which was a serious problem in the Holyrood project.According to BBC (2004) the initial estimative of cost and time for the construction of the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh took place in 1997 with delivery estimate for 2001, even without a project or defined location. However, in 1998 the Holyrood site was chosen to be the actual location and a designer competition was opened based on the criteria of quality, time and cost, after which the Spanish architect Enric Miralles in conjunction with the Scottish company RMJM were chosen to design the parliament. With the delay in such definition, the time factor had become an even greater limitation for the execution of the project.According to White & Sidhu (2005) the president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), Mr George Wren, even wrote to the Prime Minister Donald Dewar calling attention to this issue and the consequences of this reduction in availability of design time and in the final product quality, besides the need for faster methods of construction. He also suggested the extensi on of the deadline to complete the building and later, RIAS published a note considering that the process was being quite rushed.Also in 1998, Mr. Armstrong, project manager at this time, established the project schedule, where the construction of the building would start in July 1999 and the initial deadline at autumn 2001 was kept (Lord Fraser, 2004). Lord Fraser, responsible for the inquiry, also commented in his report that it was ironic that factors such as sufficient time for the phases of planning and design were not included in the timeline because of political objectives to meet the deadline.Besides, he also highlighted, in a workshop of risk management conducted by the company Davis, Langdon and Everest (DLE), that the design of the parliament was considered affordable despite of its complexity. Such issues, along the differences between Enric Miralles and the RMJM and the archaeology work at the location were the main causes of delay in progress of the project at its begi nning. Therewith, Mr. Armstrong resigned from his position and a construction management company was hired in his place.White & Sidhu (2005) described that in 1999, after controversies concerning the project and its handover by the former Scottish Office to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), it was decided by the parliament that the current project would continue, increasing costs and maintaining the deadline for autumn 2001. Although at that point it had been suggested to pursue the project more slowly due to time constraints, it was alleged by Donald Dewar that delays of around two months could raise the cost of construction in about ? 2 to ? 3 million yet this deadline remained the same.Thus, the construction started in July 1999 and after this, many design changes were required in that year, which further delayed the progress of the project. In 2000, finally, as Lord Fraser (2004) mentioned, after a lot of reports pointing to the necessity of a new estimate of cos ts and time, an amendment presented by Gordon Jackson MSP was accepted by the parliament and the delivery of the building was rescheduled to the end of 2002. However, other factors slowed the work even more in that year, such as the illness and subsequent death of the architect Enric Miralles and then Donald Dewar.In the end of that year, the Audit Committee published a report, where it was highlighted that the building could only be occupied in April 2003, extrapolating the deadline again. As published in the newspaper Scotsman (2004), the year of 2001 was marked by problems in construction, and security issues delayed the progress, hence the delivery of the parliament in May, 2003 became a priority over costs and the construction was accelerated. However in 2002, the deadline was extended again to September 2003 due to further delays, among the causes were cited bomb proofing measures and even the Inquiry of Lord Fraser.Later on, because of problems in the construction of the inte rior and the most complex parts of the project, the deadline was changed to August 2004. The building was eventually delivered in October 2004, with a time span of three years from the initial deadline. On that note, considering the time management in this project, it is possible to highlight that the main problems were the non-inclusion of enough time to design and plan in the first schedules. This was due to the rush to deliver the building for political reasons and the insistence on keeping the deadline even with the problems faced.The failure to analyse the very high degree of complexity of the chosen design therefore resulted in the project running over schedule. Such factors are mentioned in the Holyrood Inquiry as well. 4. 3 Project management tools Project management tools assist in keeping track of all components of a project, ensuring each stage runs smoothly and is completed on time. As well as the smooth running and time keeping of a project, management tools also help m onitor the projects progress against planned budget. Every project is unique, encompassing all the stakeholders and the internal and external influences.Effective project management should include elements of PESTLE analysis including, Political, economic, sociological, technological and environmental, as a method of identifying potential pitfalls in the process. A SWOT analysis is typically completed in the primary stages of a project. This would be carried out during the planning phase and revisited when any complications arise in a project such as; budget or time management. In turn this would allow the project manager to ensure the project is being completed effectively.A SWOT analysis takes into account the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. These are then used to control areas of planning and risk management in a project. A SWOT analysis may also be used to highlight particular areas within the project which could be maximised to result in a benefit to either th e project as a whole, or certain areas of the project. A project manager could implement a SWOT analysis to evaluate certain activities within their project to analyse their progress or determine if they could improve such activities to expand their potential.A SWOT analysis may also be used to evaluate any risks in a project or particular areas of a project and therefore define the most appropriate and effective way of controlling and mitigating any risk which may negatively affect the project’s completion (Project Smart, 2013). Henry Laurence Gantt was an American mechanical engineer, recognised for the development of the Gantt chart in 1017. A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart showing the starting and finishing dates of the different stages of a project. They are a method of tracking tasks across time and also show the elationship between the different stages. Haughey, D. (2013) describes Gantt charts as, â€Å"an important project management tool used for showing the ph ases, tasks, milestones and resources needed as part of a project. † Gantt charts have become an industry standard since their first use in the Hoover Dam project of 1931. They can be useful in planning a time frame of a project and help by categorising events and organising them into an order in which they have to be completed. They also work by showing the tasks which are to be completed on the vertical axis, with the time scale on the horizontal axis.Each task then has a bar showing the time required for each task and a percentage of how complete each task is. Critical Path Analysis (CPA) is a project management technique similar to Gantt charts in the way that it lays out the activities needed to complete a task, the time it will take to complete each activity and the relationship between these activities. CPA is a planning and managing tool, its purpose is to help predict whether or not a project can be completed on time. It is a way of managing a project and ensuring the project timing is on track and that things are completed on time.Santiago, J. and Magallon, D. (2009) state that, â€Å"The Critical Method or Critical Path Analysis, is a mathematically based algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. † And, â€Å"is an important tool for effective project management. † Therefore this would be a necessary tool to use in project management as it allows activities to be planned so that the job can be completed in the shortest time and allows project managers to see if remedial action is necessary to place a project back on course. Another tool used in project management is the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT).Haughey, D. (2013) describes this as, â€Å"a method for analysing the tasks involved in completing a given project, especially the time needed to complete each task and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total project. † Pert charts are usually used alongside Gantt charts. However, Rouse, M. (2007) argues that, â€Å"The PERT chart is sometimes preferred over the Gantt chart, because it clearly illustrates task dependencies. On the other hand, the PERT chart can be much more difficult to interpret, especially on complex projects.Frequently, project managers use both techniques. † Therefore, by using a wide range of tools such as PERT charts, Critical Path Analysis and Gantt charts a project can be better monitored ensuring that all activities are running smoothly, according to schedule. 5. Stakeholder management Stakeholders are the individuals who are involved in a project and are affected by its activities. Essentially, stakeholders cover everyone: project sponsors, project managers, the project team, support staff, customers, users and even suppliers and opponents to the project.Understanding the needs of each of these stakeholders is vital; each of the stakeholders have different needs and expectations which have to be met. In order to do this, nee ds and expectations must firstly be identified. Exceeding these needs involves balancing competing demands to ensure the smooth running of a project. Stakeholder management is a process by which a positive relationship is created between the stakeholders and project managers of a project, through the appropriate management of expectations and agreed objectives. Kangas, P. 2011) states that: â€Å"Stakeholder management begins by identifying individuals and groups the project affects. To identify a comprehensive list of stakeholders, the project team should evaluate individuals or groups who contribute to or receive value from the project. The team should assess stakeholders for their influence, the extent to which they are affected and their attitudes toward the project. † Therefore it is clear that for a project to run smoothly a good stakeholder relationship is vital. Thompson, R. (2012) refers to stakeholder management as being, â€Å"critical to the success of every proj ect in every organisation. Before the establishment of any project, one of the most important starting points is to have full commitment of all management and stakeholders as these are the people who will benefit from the completed project. If there is not full commitment, this increases the probability of project failure. Lawlor, J. (2010) states that for the completion of an effective project, an organisation must: â€Å"Have a strong sponsor, someone who is sufficiently high up in the organisation to sustain commitment to the project and who will fight for it at senior management level.It is not enough simply to gain management and stakeholder commitment at the start of a project, they must work to sustain it throughout. † This can be achieved by keeping the sponsor firmly in the communication loop and continuously update them on all major developments, successes and all potential issues and risks that may be faced in any upcoming projects. Due to stakeholders including ev eryone involved in the project such as suppliers, sub-contractors and other external resources this introduces further risks.To overcome the majority of these risks, organisations must clearly communicate to the stakeholder exactly what is expected of them. Clear instructions should be set out along with an expected time scale that these activities should be completed by. Lawlor, J. (2010) suggests that to avoid certain risks an organisation should, â€Å"Base agreements with suppliers and other external parties on clearly specified requirements that identify the performance standards expected and the products or systems to be designed, developed, and delivered. Regular meetings with these suppliers and sub-contractors are an essential part to the on-going project, for project managers to ensure stakeholders are performing as expected. When looking at the construction of the Holyrood building, it is clear that problems occurred. A possible reason for this was the vast amount of dif ferent stakeholders who were involved in the construction of the project. Due to the numbers of different contractors and subcontractors, communication and coordination was one of the main issues which added to problems associated with the time issues.Fraser (2004) reported, â€Å"there was a lack of communication, coordination and understanding between stakeholders, for example, resolution of many design issues was delayed due to misunderstanding and lack of communication between RMJM & EMBT. † Therefore, delays occurred in the project from bad stakeholder relationships and poor communication. 6. Conclusion With an unrealistic estimated budget, the Holyrood project was destined to fail from the beginning. Despite this, and the many challenges the team faced, it can be argued that the completion of the building has been a major success.Therefore, it is evident that there are many factors that contribute to the success of a project. Undoubtedly, this depends on how efficiently the given task was managed, measured against time and budget. Failure to meet any pre-determined deadlines or budgets would indicate significant problems in the management and structure of initial plans. Achievement of projects strategic objectives is crucial to its success. This should be supported by a realistic plan that identifies critical success factors.An effective project risk management strategy should be embedded in the project lifecycle and provide a degree of certainty to all stakeholders involved. The effectiveness of this strategy should be regularly monitored alongside the other elements of the project in order to ensure total control. The grounds of project failure have been identified as running over budget, over schedule or lack of engagement with stakeholders to meet desired goal. Unrealistic timescales, poor leadership and poor communication also lead to project failure, which highlights the value that efficient project management has on the running of a project . . Recommendations The following recommendations should be considered by senior management when seeking to improve the effectiveness of project management. * Set realistic objectives, including a clearly defined scope, time and budgetary requirements * Consider the complexity and constraints of the project before implementation * Incorporate appropriate time management, allocating time for disruption * Ensuring effective communication between stakeholders at all times * Make appropriate use of all management tools in the planning and development stage 8. ReferencesAPM. 2013. Association for Project Management: What is risk management [online] Available at: http://www. apm. org. uk/WhatIsPM [Accessed 9 March 2013] Audit Scotland, 2004. Management of the Holyrood building project [pdf] Available at: http://www. audit-scotland. gov. uk/docs/central/2004/nr_040629_holyrood_project. pdf> [Accessed 3 March 2013] BBC News. Timeline. ,2004. Holyrood. news. bbc. co. uk. [online] Available a t : http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/scotland/3210729. stm [Accessed on 10th March 2013] Fraser, R. H. L. , 2004. Construction Management. Available at: http://www. cottish. parliament. uk/vli/holyrood/inquiry/sp205-07. htm [Accessed 13th March 2013] Haugan, Gregory T. , 2002. Project Planning and Scheduling. Vienna: Management Concepts. [online] Available at: http://books. google. co. uk/books? id=evSThe6mUkMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=project+planning&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GMQ_UbbzCsqb0QW-4YDQDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ6AEwAw [Accessed on 1 March 2013] Haughey, D. , 2013. Project Management Tools [online] Available at: http://www. projectsmart. co. uk/project-management-tools. html . [Accessed 13th March 2013] HSE, 2013.Health and Safety Executive: Five steps to risk assessment [online] Available at: http://www. hse. gov. uk/risk/fivesteps. htm [Accessed 9 March 2013] Isobel White; Iqwinder Sidhu, 2005. Building the Scottish Parliament, The Holyrood Project [pdf] Available at: < http://www. parliament. uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03357. pdf> [Accessed 27 February 2013] John J. Lawlor. , 2010. Successful Project Management: Eight Simple Steps to Follow. Available at: http://www. projectsmart. co. uk/successful-project-management-eight-simple-steps-to-follow. html. Accessed 12 March 2013] Lord Fraser. ,2004. Holyrood Inquiry. [online]. Available at: http://www. holyroodinquiry. org/FINAL_report/report. htm [Accessed on 11 March 2013] Philip J. Kangas. , 2011. Back To Basics Stakeholder Management. [online] Available at: http://asq. org/quality-progress/2011/03/back-to-basics/stakeholder-management-101. html [Accessed 13 March 2013] Project Smart. 2013. Swot Analysis in Project Management [online] Available at: http://www. projectsmart. co. uk/swot-analysis-in-project-management. html [Accessed 10 March 2013] Thompson, R. 2012.Stakeholder Management Planning Stakeholder Communication. Available at: http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newPPM_08. htm . [Accessed 12 Marc h 2013] Rouse, M . 2007. PERT chart (Program Evaluation Review Technique) Available at: http://searchsoftwarequality. techtarget. com/definition/PERT-chart. [Accessed 13 March 2013] Santiago, J. , Magallon, D. 2009. Critical Path Method. [online] Available at: http://www. stanford. edu/class/cee320/CEE320B/CPM. pdf. [Accessed 13 March 2013] Scotsman. 2004. Holyrood timeline. news. scotsman. com. [online]. Available at: http://www. cotsman. com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/holyrood-timeline-1-464525 [Accessed on 10th March 2013] Well-Stam, D. , Lindenaar, F. , Van Kindere, F. ,2004. Pg3-4 Project Risk Management: An Essential Tool For Managing And Controlling Project. s. White, Isobel and Sidhu, Iqwinder. , 2005. House of Commons Research Paper – Building the Scottish Parliament, The Holyrood Project. House of Commons Library, 2005-01-12. Retrieved 2006-10-29. [online]. Available from: http://www. parliament. uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-03357. pdf [Accessed on 10 March 2013]

Outline for an Informal Report Essay

This report is designed to study and critically analyze the economic and management problems being currently encountered by the Roanoke Branch of Phoenix Advertising particularly in their employee management approach and the relationship between the management and the subordinate employees. Classification / Division I. Background information about the agency is as follows: The agency being targeted by this report is the Roanoke Branch of Phoenix Advertising located in Charlotte, NC that serves banks, insurance companies and retail chains advertising needs, currently headed by Gregory S. Forest as the company president and locally handled by Frankie Evans as the Vice-President for Human Resource Management, which is presently besieged by turmoil in their employee management. II. Information regarding the report investigation. Determining and critical analyzing the condition of the targeted work branch requires personal investigation approaches. Thus, this researcher has interviewed several employees of the said work branch to determine their opinion and views regarding the work condition and environment in the targeted structure. In addition, this researcher has also reviewed and analyzed several work documents and manuals pertaining to employee management approach of the company.    III. Results of the investigations. Thus, the said investigation has determined that the Roanoke Branch of Phoenix Advertising is currently experiencing several employee management and employee relations problems, which are significantly affecting the production and quality of service of the said office. Among its problems is the significant decrease in the morale of the employee particularly in their dedication for their work, quality of work environment and the dissatisfaction with the services and performance of their superiors. This in turn has caused higher stress level for the employees thus, further aggravating their discontentment with their work conditions. In addition, this problem has also affected the production rate of the said branch as the rate of absenteeism and turnovers have increased to a detrimental level. Other contributory factor to the discontented wok nature of the employees are the lack of communication between the body of employee and the management, increased in the work load for each employee, and the   increasing unpaid overtime dues to the employees. IV. Recommendations To address the investigated employee management and relation in the employee’s body of the Roanoke Branch of the Phoenix Advertising, this researcher recommends the following approaches. A. Revising the hiring and recruitment procedures particularly drawing out a clearer and more comprehensive work contract that elaborates the rights and privileges of the employees to encourage more applicants thus enabling the administration to expand the workforce pool in the Roanoke Branch. B. Establish experimental work system to determine the most convenient for the employees and the most effective for the company’s production cycle. Included in this concept are the aspects of employee scheduling employing a fixed but semi-rotational work schedule for each employee and shortening the work period through extending or establishing employee vacations and day offs. C. Reducing the workload of the employees through hiring in part-time personnel especially during work peak seasons to accommodate the increasing workload and increase the work capacity of the Roanoke branch. D. Formulating grievance and dispute procedures to expand the communication aspect between the management and employees wherein employees’ views and opinions can be expressed and will be duly addressed and incorporated in the development plans of the Roanoke branch. With this implemented, the work environment and condition of the employees can be improved in accordance to their preferences thus promoting in turn their dedication and willingness to do their job tasks and their personal safety while in working condition. E. Establishing a management development training program where the leadership and interpersonal skills of the branch’s leaders and managers can be develop thus enabling them to better relate and understand their subordinate employees. F. Establishing employee incentives approach as the management’s tool for motivation for their employees and their rewards for the hard work and services done by their employees. These incentives can manifest through different forms such as awards like employee of the month, compensation time, extra bonuses, and profit share, which are all constituted in monetary and honorable recognition forms.

Hyperinflation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hyperinflation - Research Paper Example (Swanson, 2004) Examples of the Hyperinflation Phenomenon If this definition of hyperinflation by economists is anything to go by, then any commodity which has a price of USD1 at the starting of the year would cost USD130 at the setting in of the following year. It (hyperinflation) was to a big extent a common occurrence in the 20th Century. This was mostly after the Great War and the Second World War. The main hyperinflation that has drawn the attention of most scholars for the purposes of studying is that which occurred in Germany in years 1922-1923. In November year 1923, the price index, using August 1922 as the base period, was 1.02*1010. This translated would result to an average of 322% inflation per month. This hyperinflation persisted for about 16 months. Besides the case of Germany, there was an even more serious case of hyperinflation subsequent to the WWII. Precisely, it occurred from August year 1945 through July 1946 and the general price level escalated at an alarming rate of approximately 19,000% per month. Causes of Hyperinflation In spite the fact that hyperinflation can be blamed on the shocks that had just happened just before these two aforementioned countries, no single shock can explain it all in spite of how severe it is. One shock like that of WWII cannot grant a sustainable answer as to why hyperinflation would continuously grow rapidly for a while. In other words the hyperinflationary phenomena witnessed in Hungary and Germany could not have been caused by the world wars. Causes of hyperinflation are explained by one major factor, a rapid increase in the paper money supply. This is usually common after the fiscal and monetary policies’ implementing authorities of a country make regular issuance of huge quantities of money so as to pay a big spending that the government may have incurred. Due to the issuance of currencies by these authorities it leads to a kind of inflation of taxation where government makes gains at the expense of those people who hold money while the value of this money decreases. Therefore, hyperinflation signifies very big schemes of taxation. Explaining this phenomenon of the economy using the economies of Hungary and Germany the findings are as stated. When Hungary was facing hyperinflation, the money supply that was done made a money supply rise of 1.19*1025. On the other hand, in the German case the amount of money in circulation rose by 7.32*109. While compared with the price levels’ rise earlier, the figures of money growth supply were smaller. The difference in the money supply growth and price levels rise can be explained to be due to the concept known as real money quantity. This real money quantity concept seeks to explain what the situation where persons exhibit the behavior of holding money as prices rise in rapid manners shows inflation. The real money quantity, which is also known as the purchasing power of money is that ratio between the money held and the level o f prices. Making an assumption that a given family consumes a given bundle of commodities, the real money value is that bundle which the money that they hold can purchase. In the time periods when inflation is at low levels, then that family will have a retention of the real value of their money that they hold- which is very convenient. On the contrary, if there is a high inflation, a family will be maintaining a

My Personality Traits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Personality Traits - Essay Example According to Roberts and Mroczek (2008), â€Å"personality traits are defined as the relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish individuals from one another† (p. 31). One strongly believes that it is crucial to spend some time reflecting and assessing one’s personality traits for purposes of noting one’s strengths, and determining one’s weaknesses. However, an assessment should not end only in the aspect of determination. One affirms that after accurate identification of the traits that are considered weak some positive action must be taken to address the noted weaknesses and to eventually transform them into core competencies and advantages. In this regard, after a personal reflection of one’s personality, I deduced that there were evident strengths in exemplifying virtues of honesty, integrity and conformity to rules, policies, as well as adherence to ethical, moral and legal standards. In whatever setting o r situation, I always observe regulations and am very assertive in complying with the explicitly defined rules. This is most applicable in the school setting, in communities, work settings, and in other public or private organizations that one gets the opportunity to be involved with or interact with. For me, giving my word is tantamount to a firm acknowledgement of a promise. I would never make a promise I know I would not be able to keep. I also believe in the ethics of reciprocity or the Golden Rule, as it is more commonly known. This is the reason why I would not like to do injustice to others, as I expect to be respected and be accorded with equality, justice, as well as conformity to good moral conduct and behavior. This, I believe, is crucial to avoid injuries, hurt, pain, and discrimination of any kind. I am very conscientious and I believe that by doing good I would have rendered appropriate service to others, and more importantly, to my creator. Likewise, I have determined that I exhibited above average people skills, meaning, I am compassionate, easy to get along with, gregarious and socially responsible. These traits would be most useful in teambuilding and in working with groups. Although I believe that as an individual, I could excel using the knowledge, skills and abilities gained through education and experience, I still acknowledge that working cohesively with others is beneficial in different scenarios and settings. On the other hand, despite the acknowledgement of these strengths in my personality, I still admit that there are weaknesses which need to be addressed. As emphasized by Roberts & Mroczek (2008), â€Å"personality traits continue to change, even in old age† (p. 32). Thus, one could still work on changing those traits that need to be tranformed for the better. For one, I believe that there is still room for improving ability to discern priorities in life. Since I am a people’s person, there are some instances when I a m in the company of colleagues and friends and I just could not say no to them when they invite me to social events or gatherings. In the process of accommodating them, there were times that I failed to attend to more urgent matters – such as academic projects or the need to spend quality time with one’s family. In addition, another weakness noted was one’

Definition Essay: Racism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Definition of Racism - Essay Example Racism was institutionalized and given support from all quarters of the government as well as parts of the society. The Blacks were denied their Civil Rights and opportunity to participate in any political, social and economic matters. Racism also accounts for heavy prejudice based on race that entails discrimination and segregation against the race that is inferior. Racism was a very powerful force to reckon with in American society and hence the Blacks were neither favored nor given any prominence for any of their talent, which includes their artistic or intellectual abilities. They were not given admission to good educational institutions nor were they allowed to enter theaters or Hotels. Racism could also be described as the hatred or intolerance of one race towards another. Before and during the wars the Whites felt it below their dignity to induct the Blacks into the army. It is only when all the vacancies had been filled by the Whites and they badly needed hands to help in the war, did they begin recruiting Blacks who bravely served the country all through the war- some of them were so heroic that they served until their last breath. Racism wears different masks – but basically, the psychological pre-condition for racism is nothing but anxiety or contempt towards another race in order to secure or reassure themselves of their own identity. On a Philosophical level, we could say that racism does not provide room either for the unknown or the strange. All the facets of racism are dependent on the socio-economic, cultural and religious condition of any given society which reflects the over-emphasis of the skin color of a particular race. Racism is of many kinds. For example, in European History we have what is called state – organized racism where thousands of Jews were persecuted in History’s worst holocaust.  Ã‚  

Intern as Revenue Manager Assistant from March 2009 to August 2009 At Coursework

Intern as Revenue Manager Assistant from March 2009 to August 2009 At The Grand City Hotel, Berlin - Coursework Example The internship provided me with an insight into my own weaknesses and deficiencies which I was unable to realize without being a part of a hotel practically. I particularly found how important it is for me to have an extraordinary control and expertise in the use of software particularly the spreadsheets. I also learned group skills. I found the considerable difference between academic learning and professional learning. My experience of internship has acquainted me with a lot of knowledge and skills that I could not learn in the college. Over six months, I have grown as a professional and have learned how to apply theoretical learning in practical situations. The internship helped me become well equipped with such a valuable experience that would be very helpful in my professional career after my graduation. My tenure at the Grand City Hotel has been a very enlightening experience. Table of Contents Contents Page No. Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 - 6 a) About the Grand City Hot el b) Location of the Grand City Hotel c) Attractions for the guests d) Environment of the Grand City Hotel e) Services at the Grand City Hotel f) Objectives for the internship Description and Analysis 7 - 10 a) Methodology b) Results c) Recommendations to the company Learning experience 10 - 12 a) Personal development b) Challenges and Solutions c) Academic Learning vs Professional Learning Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction a) About the Grand City Hotel The Grand City Hotel chain comprises more than 100 hotels all across Europe. The hotels guarantee a memorable experience at the best price. The location, attractions, environment, and services provided by the Grand City Hotel far outweigh the prices charged from the guests. b) Location of the Grand City Hotel The Grand City Hotel in Berlin is an exquisite resort for the travelers from all over the world who want to discover the German Main content and have some quality time on weekends or holidays. One of the main attractions of the Grand City Hotel in Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is its location and surroundings. The Grand City Hotel is centrally located in Berlin and is at a short distance to many of the famous attractions that German has to offer, including the Messe Berlin, the renowned Kurfurstendamm, and the ICC (Grand City Hotels, n.d.). c) Attractions for the guests The Grand City Hotel Berlin provides the guests with easy access to the Berlin Zoo, galleries and shops, the German Opera Berlin, the KaDeWe department store, and the Kurfurstendamm. There is a variety of restaurants, clubs, and cafes near the Grand City Hotel in Berlin to satiate the cravings of the Night owls. The countless cultural attractions of Berlin make the Grand City Hotel a perfect resort for a longer stay. Among all cities of Germany, Berlin has probably the most to offer the tourists and visitors ranging from the Reichstag and the Brandenburger Tor to the variety of attractions in the local neighborhoods. Some of the most famous landmarks of Germany are located in the heart of Berlin and the guests can have them on walking distance from the Grand City Hotel.  Ã‚  

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business law - Essay Example In public law, the government may either be implicated openly or not. Law is referred to as a private law when the government is not implicated in any way. This paper describes the differences and comparison between private law and public law. Differences between public law and private law There are a lot of differences between private law and public law. It is important to posit that all the descriptions established to define private law leaves out the government. The government is only involved in private law as an intermediary, negotiator, or the judge. The role of the government in public law differs from that of private law. In public law, the government is involved in a case as both the judge and the either complainant or the accused (Kelsen, 2009). There are other significant dissimilarities. Private law is essentially and fundamentally centralized rules and regulations. In contrast, public law is created and implemented by the government. Whereas private law may be similar in many regions, public law only has jurisdiction within the country it was created. However, there are some few private laws that do not fall under centralized rules and regulations on the basis of business. The statutes under public laws and regulations obligatory and compulsory hence are ought to be obeyed by individuals of the particular country they were created. They are also under the prudence of institutions in leadership in a country. According to Kelsen (2009, p. 202), â€Å"As a rule private law provisions are at the disposal of parties and can be derogated from, amended or waived by mutual contractual agreements†. In private law, conformity and obedience of the law is imposed by the acts of the judiciary against an individual or institution. The government and top government officials are mandated by the law of the land to subject directives or ruling as well as give executive directives and instantaneously certify or warrant conformity. These executive directions a re mostly implemented by the law enforcers (Kleinmann, 2005). Conformity of executive directives can also be warranted through fines devoid of the acquisition of an order from the judiciary. In elucidating the differences between private and public law, it is important to differentiate between the conventional parts of private law and those of public law. In public law, conventional parts of the rules and regulations include rules and regulations of the constitution, executive rules, rules and regulations governing levies and tariffs, institutional rules, and rules on delinquency, and social security. Rules and regulations on social security comprise those governing indemnity systems. Executive rules and regulations comprise of rules on law enforcement and business operations. Other additional conventional parts on public law include rewards, environmental regulations, and regulations on biotechnology. Conventional parts on private law on the other hand include national or public ru les and regulations, and rules governing import and export of goods and services, liquidation, employment, unjust competition, personal indemnity, organizations, and manufacturing. Additional categories of private law include consumer protection, involvement of employees in the workplace, and legal responsibility on manufactured goods (Miller, 2011). Studies conducted in the past have however posited that it is very difficult to outline the difference between private a

Reading Reflactions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading Reflactions - Essay Example The racial discrimination has produced the unreliable statistics by holding the black men responsible for the criminal actions and this gravely troubling situation of the close association of blackness and criminality has given rise to the racial discrimination and oppression in the urban America of the 21st century. The study suggests that the unreliability of the statistics and racial discrimination has made the statistics of white crime as virtually invisible. It is only utilized to augment and boost the excessively dramatic criminal behavior of African Americans. The Black activists and scholars have strived for the color blind criminal justice by presenting the arguments that the crime and race can be detangled and the pillar of racism can be destroyed only through treating both, the black and white Americans, as equal in status and every factor. On the other hand, the significance of the European ancestry and the attributes of skin color has been depicted by the white scholars, and according to them, the anti-black racism was gradually adopted to assimilate immigrants into the single white race. The book The Condemnation of Blackness also presents the fact that fundamentals to the arising of the contemporary talks on race and crime have been initiated by the statistical comparisons between the Negros, and Foreign born. In my opinion, the ongoing black crime rhetoric has gained more strength because it has obtained more proponents than the opponents. This subject of racial distinction and black crime has gone to the extent on national discourse due to the comparison of statistics. The White Americans take complete advantage of this statistically created discrimination by utilizing it to shield and support the biased social practices and public policies. However, when it comes to dignity and self-respect, the current reading reflect upon the fact that numerous Black

Consumer Relationship Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Consumer Relationship Marketing - Case Study Example Companies or brands that focus on such areas can gain competitive advantage. Motorola's strategy, as outlined below, is to deliver a safe customer relationship service, which speaks to the customer's desire for clarity of vision. Motorola places strong emphasis on their ability to provide consistent security in information systems, and also matches the third requirement by maintaining a strong research and development program between all segments. With this approach customers are adequately informed of what the brand is seeking to achieve and benefits that shall accrue to them if they are successfully accomplished. Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Motorola (NYSE:MOT) is a global Fortune 100 leader in broadband, automotive communications, wireless technologies, and embedded electronic products. The company's Government and Enterprise Mobility Solutions (GEMS) business provides integrated radio communications and information solutions for public safety, government, and enterprise customers. Widely distributed sales and system integration teams previously collaborated by improvised phone, e-mail, and paper processes. Motorola consists of three businesses: Connected Home Solutions, Networks & Enterprise, and Mobile Devices. Connected Home Solutions provides a scalable, integrated end-to-end system for the delivery of broadband services that keeps consumers informed, entertained and connected. Mobile Devices designs, manufactures, sells and services wireless subscriber and server equipment for cellular systems, portable energ y storage products and systems, servers and software solutions and related software and accessory products. Networks & Enterprise solutions include secure two-way radio, cellular and wireless broadband systems to meet the needs of public safety, government, private, and service provider and enterprise customer's world-wide. The Motorola RAZR cellular phone. The sleek RAZR mobile phone is an innovative product marketed as 'Ultrathin' and light. Razr reported profits of $1.75 billion on sales of $9.42 billion with 750,000 units of the phone to wireless carriers in the first 30 days on the market (Hesseldahl 2005). Strategic Focus Motorola's Web-site states that: "We're scientists. We're artists. Most of all, we are a global communications leader, powered by, and driving, seamless mobility. Motorola is revolutionizing broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks - bringing cutting-edge technologies into your everyday life, with style" (Motorola 2006). A defining characteristic of Motorola's RAZR phone is international use and multi-national business, which is characteristic of a social and cultural worldview. This worldview may be comprised of the group's norms, values and assumptions for how people interact with each other (Distefano & Mavnevski, 2000).

A definition of the values and ethics in sport Essay Example for Free

A definition of the values and ethics in sport Essay Principles A principle is a basic truth, law or policy. Principles are standards that define moral behaviour. A principle in sport might be that the officials teat all equally on the field of play. For example the referee in a rugby match is expected to make decisions on what has happened on the field of play, regardless of who the player is, this illustrates the principle of fair play in sport. In the premier league football it is often though that players get away with behaviour that would be deemed unacceptable and against the principle of fair play. Values Values are ideals that form the basis of actions and beliefs. An example of a value in sport is when a player endeavours to play well for the teams sake and not for his or her own benefit. Foe example, a hockey goalkeeper would put herself at some risk by saving a hard driven shot, this upholds the value of playing for the sake of others. In premier league football a goalkeeper may try very hard to save a shot and risk injury because he is die to gain as an individual in a forthcoming transfer deal. This is not upholding the value of playing for others. Ethics Ethics are rules that dictate a persons conduct. They form a system of rules that groups and societies are judged on. In sport it is ethical to acknowledge that you have broken the rules of your particular game. For example, a snooker player would tell the referee that he had committed a foul shot even though the referee had not noticed, this shows ethical conduct. In athletics, a runner might take a performance enhancing drug, breaking the rules of competition this is an example of unethical behaviour. The underpinning value of these three definitions is that of fair play and abiding by the rules. Everyone involved at sport at all levels are supposed to encourage ethical considerations that will lead to fair play, it is to be encouraged at all levels of sport and towards all ages of sportsperson but particularly aspiring young athletes. The major underpinning values that are to be taught are:- * Friendship * Respect for others * Playing with a level head and a team spirit * Equal opportunities An explanation as to the importance of ethics and values for sporting organisation and the individuals who participate Individual and group development has a lot to do with the ethics and values that are learnt through life. Ethics and values are important for individuals who take part in sport because sport plays a major role in a lot of peoples lives from an early age. Players and fans that are into sport tend to devote a lot of time and effort to their favourite sport. If you look into the nature of fairplay in sport for some people it leads to their understanding of fairness in a wider social setting, this is because many of our basic values, such as playing fairly are often absorbed through athletic competition because when kids are taught about sports emphasis is often put on playing fair. The underlying importance of this is that if an individual or group do not develop a proper set of ethics and values it will make them and their club look bad. An example is a player like Roy Keane who admitted in his autobiography that he broke a fellow footballers leg simply because he wanted to. From this I can understand that Roy Keane did not grow up with the same sort of values that I did. He didnt get it hammered into him when he was young that breaking someones leg isnt part and parcel of the sport. This also reflects a bad image on the club and if my memory serves me right Manchester United round about that time were considered quite a dirty club. No proud owner of a club really wants their club to be known as an aggressive bunch of cheats. It is nobler to be like Chelsea who last year not only won the Premiership but the fairplay award as well which if you look at it really makes you think yeah they are true champions because they won it fairly. You could argue that they spent 100 million pounds to win the league but they still did it fairly more so than any other team in the land and I and hopefully many other football fans respect them for it. From a strong commitment to ethics and values players can achieve likeability and move onto more successful jobs. An example is Gary Linekar he never received a yellow card in his whole life ans he has since taken over from the legendary Des Lynam as the Match of the Day host. Players with bad reputations that are openly disliked by the majority of fans are unlikely to move onto other limelight jobs when their career over as well as simply being disliked by the general public. When these players careers are over they still have to do the shopping, go out to eat etc. When they go out into the public people are going to have an opinion of them based on the ethics and values that they have shown on the field of play. Who wants to be openly disliked? Clubs have a good public image to gain from having a strong commitment to ethics and values and all good businesses know that a good public image means more money. A consequence of bad ethics and values could be related to athletics. Probably the most talked about ethic in sport is the prohibition of using performance enhancing drugs in athletics. A lot of people do wonder what justifies this prohibition because why shouldnt athletes, especially competent adult athletes be free to take risks with their bodies? The answer to this comes down to ethics and morals most of us have about sport. This is an important rule because performance enhancing drugs such as steroids have very harmful side effects as well as providing an unfair advantage. It is important that a value such is this is instilled into athletes of all ages because really we would hope that all athletes would want to compete clean not only because they should want to see how good they can become without performance enhancing drugs but hopefully the integrity of the sport should be important to them as well. I remember I myself used to be a big fan of athletics back in the day of Linford Christie and Colin Jackson but over time I began to get tired when my heroes, the people I looked up to got stripped of their gold medals because they had cheated. Incidents like these put me off the sport and I no longer watch it, this is why it is important for individuals and organisations to have a strong set of ethics and values. Children look up to and aspire to be like a lot of the athletes that are on the TV these days and a poor showing of ethics and values by a well known professional sportsperson will surely be taken in and acknowledged as ok by many young athletes. Basically fans want to trust that an athletes accomplishments are achieved fairly. Consequences of bad ethics and values are that sportspersons integrity is totally lost, the sports integrity itself will go down and younger athletes may lose faith in wanting to be a professional. Coaches at all levels experience the pleasures of watching young people develop sport skills and contribute to successful teams. However, coaches also have important legal and ethical obligations to their athletes. Coaches need to ensure that a strong set of values are instilled right from the start of those of whom they are coaching playing days. There are a range of ethical responsibilities for a sports coach the most common are To encourage the development of youth into productive citizens and to develop their abilities and attitudes for further learning and success in life. To encourage participation and involve as many people as possible in a competitive experience. All team members, regardless of ability are to be afforded opportunities to develop their work ethic, sense of commitment, and social and athletic skills. All coaching programmes should seek to educate athletes about community support and encourage them to return that support both now and throughout their lives. And one of the biggest goals to be taught is that of The goal is to win, but to win the correct way, a player should never sacrifice his character for a win Earlier on I described the consequences of a bad set of ethics for an individual. In my opinion a coach with a bad set ethics is far worse because it is just not him or her who looks bad it is the people he/she is influencing as well. First of the importance of a proper coaching is the influential factor. This doesnt just apply to children but to adults as well. The problem these days is that winning is everything and some coaches do actually teach that. Various coaches at the top level send their players out to win a match through diving, time wasting and fouling opposition players. So adults can be influenced as well and so can kids who are learning in much the same way that winning is everything. It is imperative that a coach instils values and ethics into a child as early as possible so that they are not so easily swayed into cheating as they get older. This once again helps keeps intact the integrity of the player, the club the play for and the sport. The benefit these players will have are that they can become an upstanding member of the public a role model that players can look up to sort of like a David Beckham figure (bad example). Consequences are that from a young age players are conditioned into thinking that winning is everything and this can spill over into real life. A sports player may cheat on a maths test or lie to get a girlfriend because the values that they learnt through their coaching apply to their real life situations. Coaches need to be a positive role model and penalise unfair play! An example I can remember when this was not done was in the final of the 1999 womens world cup. The American womens football team completed regulation and extra time play against china with the score drawn. The championship, viewed through the world by millions of fans, many of them young American girls captivated by the success of the American women, was to be settled by a penalty shootout. The coach had decided one of the Chinese shooters, Liu Ying, lacked confidence so said something to the American goalkeeper, Briana Scurry. When Ying made her move, Scurry took two quick steps forward, in violation of a rule of football, to cut off Yings shooting angle. The tactic worked. Scurry deflected Yings shot and the Americans won. As for as Im concerned Scurry acted unfairly and cheated by violating a rule on her coaches advice. It set a bad example to all the aspiring young American women and for me and many other people that watched, the American victory was tainted by unethical behaviour in a deliberate violation of the rules. I see that as a major consequence of bad ethics taught and it is still happening all over the world in other sports such as boxing where fighters have cheated in a multitude of ways through their cornermen. To be honest a lot of the people that cheat in sport through advice of their coaches are remembered only for their win and not for the cheating but there are many people still out their who view these sportspeople and the people that coached them as cheats and they have to live that for the rest of their lives. The main value statements that need to be learnt in order to obtain an NVQ in sport and recreations are that people shouldnt be discriminated against based on their age, gender, ethnic origin or if they are disabled. The reason that these value statements are in place is because in this day and age there is still a lot of prejudice in the world. Prejudice cant be afforded in competitive sport or the sports industry. Sport in reality is supposed to be all about enjoyment and achievement and shouldnt in anyway be anything to do with a disability, age or colour of someones skin. The benefits of the individuals who learn these value statements and take them in are that they will influence people to shed their differences and help understand other peoples needs and this will help to draw different types of people together. Basically differences can be buried by sport if people learn these statements then apply them to the sporting organisations they work in. An example is that they could encourage different race teams or mixed age teams or include people with disabilities. Most of the football teams that we support today have a mix of nationalities. The small minority of supporters that are racist tend to support the ethnics in their own team with the same love shown to the people in their team that are the same races as them. This shows that sport can bring people together at the highest level which means that it can be filtered down to lower levels like people working in leisure centres or small clubs. With regards to age sport and sports facilities should cater for all ages. Just because someone becomes older does not mean that they lose there ability or desire to play sport. Old people should be valued equally when they go to a leisure centre its not that they want to do a swimming lap in twenty seconds they just want to enjoy themselves and be involved. Older people might look old but some dont feel old and contribute their knowledge and experience to those that are younger. The benefits of understanding the older people in the community are that it open doors and gives opportunities for special events such as swimming for the elderly or special classes. Old people dont want to feel inferior or isolated and if sporting organisations can help and understand them by arranging and encouraging activities for them to take part in it can only improve the organisations overall/community image. People in the community dont want to feel ostracised so classes such as Muslim women only classes, women only classes and free for the over 60s classes have helped participation rates in relation to sporting activities. If all the people that are part of an organisation have a good set of ethics and morals it can only be productive for the organisation. Good examples will be set, participation rates will be met and the bank balance should show a good profit. The more types of people that are mentioned in the value statements taking part in sporting organisations can only lead to good publicity for the organisation. The consequences of an organisation not having a good set of ethics and values can be quite severe. There could be legal complications if disabled facilities are not available and possibly if there are not enough people from ethnic origins not taking part. Organisations such as leisure centres could lose out on financial gains and suffer loses that could lead to a cut in jobs or the leisure centre losing its contract and being taken over or shut down. As well as that with poor ethics and values there will be no community spirit regarding the sporting organisation because if it does not cater for all the surrounding people it cannot expect to be successful. Successful businesses that have made it have done so due to the fact that they catered for the elderly, disabled etc. Manchester United offer reduced rates for the elderly and disabled and this gives them a good image which is paramount for a big sporting organisation that is in the limelight. Another consequence is that the general health of a community may declines. If the staff at an organisation are showing a lack of morals and values people may not attend which means that they are not getting the exercise that they need and this is particularly important in the elderly. For a lot of people working in sporting organisations they have to realise that the public is the main reason for their existence thus they have to be treated with some respect. If an organisation wants the public to have a good attitude towards them then they have to make sure that all their staff have people skills and a high degree of customer service skills. Employees in sports organisations have very important roles to play because they are on the front lines representing the organisations that they are working for. They need to set good examples and encourage ethics and values in every aspect of their job. If they dont it leads to customer complaints as well as tainting the image of whomever they are working for. On the managements side, they need to make sure that they instil good customer service ethics among employees and thus create a people-focused culture. They also have to take a more serious attitude to customers complaints and in rewarding those employees who display positive attitudes towards customers. Setting examples at the highest level will hopefully filter down examples to the lower levels staff who wont want to break the rules and then they should pass on these same examples to the customers they are serving. Once again this leads to increased participation rates, the business should make more money and have a decent public image. Employers and Employees have other important issues to consider such as providing high and health and safety standards. The importance of Health and safety in sporting organisations such as Leisure centres/gyms cannot be over-emphasised. This applies to employers, who must satisfy legislative requirements and employees, who work with hazardous substances. Consumers too are increasingly interested in knowing about the possible dangers of substances used in leisure centres including those that are added to their food. The public and employees stand to benefit from improved safety because effective health and safety management clearly helps reduce accidents. Obviously the less accidents there are the higher the reputation of the leisure centre/gym. A leisure centre/gym is all about reputation especially when there are so many rivals around. Health and Safety at work benefits:- Well-being at work Safety at work Quality of life Motivation Less injury or sickness Job security Good moral Low turnover Increased productivity Lower insurance premiums Increased reputation

Woodlands & forests Essay Example for Free

Woodlands forests Essay Forests and woodlands provide many social, economic, and environmental benefits. In addition to timber and paper products, forests provide a wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, prevent soil erosion and flooding, help provide clean air and water, and contain tremendous biodiversity. Forests are also an important defence against global climate change. However, huge areas of the richest forests in the world have been cleared for wood fuel, timber products, agriculture, and livestock. This is why we must take extreme measures to conserve these natural resources. We can conserve forests and woodlands by careful management of the woodlands and forests, also by limiting deforestation and by adapting good forestry practices and to encourage woodland owners to help sustain their land. New by-laws have been implemented in which if a heavy fine and/or prison sentence may follow if a person breaches their conservation agreement. Britain is a good example of an industrialised country that is adapting strong conservation methods to help retain their native woodland. This involves special areas being designated National Parks or ESA’s etc. National Parks allow total protection of an area under law and is cared for by the National Trust aswell as the private landowners. Environmentally Sensitive Area’s (ESA’s) are to maintain areas of natural beauty and to allow habitats to be protected from destruction. Brazil in the developing world is home to the Amazon rainforest which is under constant exposure to deforestation. The cause of this large scale destruction is purely for economic reasons for timber and minerals etc. An estimated 3 hectares of forest is destroyed every minute and this must stop. The developing world must take action and adapt new ways of ensuring they protect their forest from exploitation. There are many ethical and aesthetical reasons for why we should conserve woodlands and forests is because everything has the right to live including trees. The environment is also the target of pleasure seekers and therefore it is needed to continue as a source of pleasure for people to enjoy and appreciate. Example: People like to escape the cities at the weekends or for holiday breaks to feel escape and to enjoy beautiful scenery aswell as watching wildlife. Ecotourism will be benefited by tighter conservation laws and will allow more people to be able to enjoy the natural environment without spoiling/ruining it in the process. There are many other ecological reasons of why we must conserve forests and woodlands. Plants are essential for regulating the atmosphere, the water cycle and is also a vital part of both the the nitrogen and carbon cycles. They form the soil and are a source of dependency for many plants, animals, birds and insects. One of the most important reasons to conserve is the potential for discovering wonderful new medicines that could hold the cures to the worlds worst diseases, this would also have enormous economic benefits for the country where discovered. E. g. a discovery in the developing world could bring billions of investment into the country and could help eliminate poverty. The conservation of forests and woodland is essential as the world’s forest contain great biodiversity and is a major habitat to millions of species. The threats of logging and urban expansion are jeopardising the world most valuable resource. Discuss the ways in which â€Å"afforestation† may influence: Climate, Soil, Water Cycle Afforestation can bring great benefits to the world. The effect on the climate can be dramatically greater when compared to deforestation. Afforestation has had many success stories throughout the world. E. g. in Finland during the 1960’s a massive area of 200,000hectares was planted. The results showed that after a scenic beauty assessment all the areas afforested now had a higher scenic beauty rating. And many animals returned to a new habitat that they had previously lost. Afforestation has many climatic impacts in relation to the greenhouse effect. The trees take in more Carbon Dioxide which is allowing negative feedback to occur, therefore resulting in a reduction in Carbon Dioxide levels. Due to the way C0 2 is an insulating gas, the removal of this gas actually lowers the temperature, so afforestation can actually help control the temperature and prevent the enhanced greenhouse effect. Afforestation can also affect winds by acting as a windbreak and can help in preventing soil erosion it acts as a saltation. The planting of more trees will help improve the humidity particularly in dry areas where the atmosphere and air is very dry and lacks moisture for further plant growth and vegetation. The gain of deep rooted plants can prevent land from being degraded. The deep roots can reach deep down to find the groundwater and will transport its up from the ground and up into the atmosphere as part of the hydrological cycle. The roots help bind the soil. It also affects salinity by transpiring water it helps keep the water table well below the surface and prevents salinisation from occurring. Trees also intercept some rainfall from reaching the ground and this helps prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged. Other climatic factors are influenced by forest cover. An article in New Scientist magazine shows that new climate models have found that forests help cool the atmosphere as the water evaporating from leaves absorbs heat, it also stated that the location chosen to afforest is important as if you chose to plant a forest to take in C0 2 it could actually lead to warming if it was planted in a region where snow falls, as this would change the lands albedo value and would reflect less sunlight. The forest has major influences on the hydrologic and carbon cycles, regulating the conversion of precipitation to runoff, CO 2 fixation, and evapotranspiration. It also influences the hydrologic cycle on the ground surface and maintains the production of biomass and vegetation. Areas of large forest cover will have high precipitation levels and high humidity related to the amount of water present in its local atmosphere due to the forests water holding system. Afforestation will affect the water cycle in a positive way by helping areas with low rainfall have more precipitation for its local crops etc.

Understanding Of Feminist Theory And Patriarchy Sociology Essay

Understanding Of Feminist Theory And Patriarchy Sociology Essay Western female thought through the centuries has identified the relationship between patriarchy and gender as crucial to the women ¡Ã‚ ¦s subordinate position. For two hundred years, patriarchy precluded women from having a legal or political identity and the legislation and attitudes supporting this provided the model for slavery. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries suffrage campaigners succeeded in securing some legal and political rights for women in the UK. By the middle of the 20th century, the emphasis had shifted from suffrage to social and economic equality in the public and private sphere and the women ¡Ã‚ ¦s movement that sprung up during the 1960s began to argue that women were oppressed by patriarchal structures. Equal status for women of all races, classes, sexualities and abilities in the 21st century these feminist claims for equality are generally accepted as reasonable principles in western society; yet the contradiction between this principle of equality and the demonstrable inequalities between the sexes that still exist exposes the continuing dominance of male privilege and values throughout society (patriarchy). This essay seeks to move beyond the irrepressible evidence for gender inequality and the division of labour. Rather, it poses the question of gender inequality as it manifests itself as an effect of patriarchy drawing from a theoretical body of work which has been developed so recently that it would have been impossible to write this essay thirty years ago. Feminist Theory and Patriarchy Although  ¡Ã‚ ¡K patriarchy is arguably the oldest example of a forced or exploitative division of social activities ¡Ã‚ ¨ and clearly existed before it was ever examined by sociologists, the features of patriarchy had been accepted as natural (biological) in substance. It was not until feminists in the 1960s began to explore the features and institutions of patriarchy, that the power of the concept to explain women ¡Ã‚ ¦s subordinate position in society was proven (Seidman, 1994) . The feminist engagement with theories of patriarchy criticised pre-existing theoretical positions and their ideological use, tracing theoretical progenitors of popular views about gender, gender roles etc (Cooper, 1995; Raymond, 1980). Developing theories to explain how gender inequalities have their roots in ideologies of gender difference and a hierarchical gender order, feminist theoretical concepts of patriarchy are able to explain and challenge gender inequality and the gendered division of labour in the private and social spheres (Seidman, 1994). They have done this by challenging concepts of gender, the family and the unequal division of labour underpinned by a theory of patriarchy that has come to reveal how it operates to subordinate women and privilege men, often at women ¡Ã‚ ¦s expense. Patriarchy, Structure and Gender Inequality Walby (1990) reveals how patriarchy operates to achieve and maintain the gender inequalities essential for the subordination of women. Crucially for this essay, she shows how it can operate differently in the private and public domain but toward the same end. She identifies patriarchy as having diverse forms of and relationships between its structures in the public and private spheres, and yet still operates in a related fashion. Walby ¡Ã‚ ¦s explanation sees the household and household production as being a key site of women ¡Ã‚ ¦s subordination but acknowledges that the domestic area is not the only one that women participate in. She shows how the concept of patriarchy is useful in explaining the relationship between women ¡Ã‚ ¦s subordination in the private and public arenas by showing that they work equally to achieve this subordination as well as supporting, reflecting and maintaining patriarchy itself. Firstly, Walby points out that the structures of patriarchy differ in their form. The household has a different structure to other institutional forms, e.g., the workplace. This is an important point because if feminist theories of patriarchy are to stand they must show that patriarchy operates to the same end in both the private and public sphere, even if it uses different strategies, otherwise it could not be the main reason for the continuing inequality of women in both the private and public sphere. Walby shows that within the private structure and the public structures, patriarchy does use different strategies to maintain gender inequality and these strategies both achieve the subordination of women. The household strategy is considered to be exclusionary and the public structures strategy as segregationist. The exclusionary strategy in the private arena is based on household production. Application of this strategy in the domestic sphere depends on individual patriarchs controlling women in the private world of the home. The male patriarch in the household is both the oppressor and recipient of women ¡Ã‚ ¦s subordination. This strategy is direct  ¡V women are oppressed on a personal and individual basis by the individual patriarchs who share their lives. The segregationist strategy used in the public patriarchy actively excludes women from the public arena using various structures to subordinate them. Application depends on controlling access to public arenas (Golombok and Fivush, 1995). This strategy does not benefit the institution directly, but it does ensure that individual patriarchs are privileged at the expense of women, and it maintains gender differences. The way in which individual patriarchs and public institutions use there power further reveals how related the structures of patriarchy are. Public institutions do not have the power to oppress individual women or exclude them directly from public structures; this work is carried out in the home. Power in institutions is used collectively rather than individually, and the segregationist strategy pursued in the public arena maintains the exclusionary strategy used in private that in turn supports the segregationist strategy used in public. Yet, the institution can only pursue its segregationist strategy because the individual patriarch subordinates the individual women daily. Walby ¡Ã‚ ¦s description of patriarchal structure looks powerful where there are fewer variables  ¡V e.g., when women and men seem to share the  ¡Ã‚ ¥privilege ¡Ã‚ ¦ of being exploited equally as a labour force working equal hours for equal pay in equal conditions (Haug, 1998). Haug (1998) cites research from East Germany which allows her to calculate that women do 4 hours and 41 minutes of domestic labour against men ¡Ã‚ ¦s 2 hours 38 minutes. Men split their extra two hours between leisure time and paid employment. She asks if it is a realistic possibility that patriarchy could be so completely and comprehensively asserted in as little as two hours a day. Haug does not answer this question (perhaps it is rhetorical) but I think that Walby ¡Ã‚ ¦s (1990) theory of patriarchy is so powerful because it can reveal the answer to questions like this. Walby ¡Ã‚ ¦s theory stands because she shows that the power of patriarchy is asserted in both the private and public sphere simultaneously supporting, reflecting and maintaining itself, regardless of the economic and social framework that prevails. In Haug ¡Ã‚ ¦s case, patriarchy is not being asserted in two hours per day, rather it is an expression of patriarchy, i.e., a symbol of male privilege, which could only be expressed if the general strategies of patriarchal structure were intact and functioning. This description of the relationship between patriarchy and structure demonstrates how inequalities in the workplace and in inequality in the home are two sides of the same coin and individual males are involved in the direct and indirect subordination of women simultaneously. The concepts that allowed Walby (1990) to define patriarchy as she has are discussed below, with reference to the work of second and third wave feminist thinkers. Gender and Gender Inequalities in the Domestic and Occupational Divisions of Labour Feminist concepts of gender and gender inequality allow us to refer more or less directly to a theoretical framework for understanding how they have come to form a basis that helps structure the whole of society according to the concept of patriarchy (Seidman, 1994). The gender differences, which lead to gender inequality in the division of labour, and presented as natural by patriarchy and unequal gender order has been normalised and legitimated by science, medicine and popular culture (Raymond, 1980). Feminists hold that this normalisation conceals the social and political formation of an unequal male order, arguing that gender difference is socially produced in order to sustain male dominance (Seidman, 1994). Frable (1997) points out that there is no basis for a biological account of gender difference since gender identity can only refer to the psychological sense of being male or female. Gender is now understood as a social category (Frable, 1997) and so liberal feminism was correct to deny that nature requires rigidly separate and unequal social roles based on gender (Ruehl, 1983). The patriarchal concepts of gender criticised by feminists are used to ascribe the roles that result in gender inequality in the division of labour (Sarup, 1993). This view is supported by Garnsey (1991) when she describes the division of labour as the differentiation of work tasks organised in structured patterns of activity. These activities are imposed and remunerated in a specific and unequal manner. When the evidence allows us to place the words  ¡Ã‚ ¥according to gender ¡Ã‚ ¦ into the last two sentences, and they new sentences mean something, then the concepts of patriarchy argued by feminists begin to take on an explanatory power. Occupational Labour and the Economy Liberal feminist provided concepts of gender that account for pay differentials and might even account for why women can receive less money than men for doing the same job (Golombok and Fivush, 1995). They can be used to explain why the political and social change which has allowed substantially greater numbers of women to enter the labour force has also concentrated them in the poorest employment (Golombok and Fivush, 1995). This is especially so if Garnsey ¡Ã‚ ¦s (1991) description of the differentiated and imposed tasks of the division of labour is used to structure the argument. However, they do not explain the reasons behind women ¡Ã‚ ¦s oppression and in order to do this Marxist feminists to began to argue that gender inequality has been shaped by capitalist development, highlighting explanations which connect gender inequality with economic needs (e.g., Mitchell J, 1966 used Marxist theory in Women: The Longest Revolution). However, while most feminists see the close links between the organisation of production and the division of labour many thought that there was a limited future for feminism under theories which reduced the specifics of women ¡Ã‚ ¦s lives to the extent that the subjective and interpersonal flavour was not captured (e.g., Firestone S, 1970; The Dialectic of Sex: the Case for Feminist Revolution). The socialist or Marxist feminist proposition positions class as the most basic form of human conflict but this position was challenged by radical feminists according to whom, equality does not mean being like men (Sarup, 1993). Radical feminists successfully argued for the substitution of gender conflict as the source of all other conflict and fighting for equality in the occupational field became subordinate to challenging the social and cultural order (Sarup, 1993). Asserting that a female identity and subjectivity could only be defined without reference to the patriarchal framework, many radical feminists looked for ways to identify and develop a female culture and way of being which was free from the influences of patriarchy. For example, Irigaray (1985) proposed that this be done through the promotion of entre-femmes, a kind of social form specific to women. A cultural terrain distinct from women ¡Ã‚ ¦s usual site the family. Household Labour Feminist writers have taken the family as a central feature of their explanation of patriarchy but they do not always agree about its role in shaping women to serve patriarchal ends in domesticity and work (Sarup, 1993). Liberal feminism recognized the gendered, social roles of wife and mother but advocated choice for women with respect to marriage, family, career etc., proposing to achieve this through a process of education and reform (Seidman, 1994). In radical feminism, the family is viewed as a major institution whose role is to foster gender inequality through the socialisation of children and subordinate women by forcing them to conform to feminine stereotypes (e.g, Greer G, 1970, The Female Eunuch). Postmodern feminism based on Foucault ¡Ã‚ ¦s work explicitly criticises the emphasis on the family as  ¡Ã‚ ¥the unit in charge ¡Ã‚ ¦ (Sarup, 1993). In order to carry out its functions, the family relies on differential relationships (Broderick, 1993). Coole et al (1990) point out that the functional needs served by the nuclear element of the nuclear family are neither exclusive nor universal which indicates that differentiation it is not essential to the performance of the vital functions of the family. This means that the social roles of wife and mother as conceived by liberal feminism are a gendered and manufactured choice. The differential relationships that identify the roles of wife and mother are part of the nuclear family model promoted by patriarchal ideologies for more than one hundred and fifty years (Coole et al, 1990; p43). This suggests that the one or some of the roles ascribed to the family by other feminists may be more accurate. Despite the differences, feminism ¡Ã‚ ¦s main assertion, that gender identities and roles are socially formed, makes the theoretical proposition that a social and political explanation (patriarchy) can be given for male dominance and patterns of gender inequality possible (Seidman, 1994). Conclusion The strength of feminist perspectives on patriarchy is that most of them have been developed from the standpoint of women ¡Ã‚ ¦s lives (Seidman, 1994) and yet this is also a criticism  ¡K what women ¡Ã‚ ¦s lives does the standpoint reflect? If feminist perspectives of patriarchy are to be useful they must not only make sense structurally, they must also make sense of all women ¡Ã‚ ¦s lives. Lesbian, Black,  ¡Ã‚ ¥Third World ¡Ã‚ ¦ and post-colonial critics have demonstrated some of the limitations of western feminist agendas that prefer patriarchal accounts of equality to racialised and cultural accounts (Burman, 1998). For example, the promotion of reproductive choices by western feminists in the 1970s focused on contraceptive and abortion rights. However, many women at that time were being discriminated against because of their colour, sexuality or physical abilities and were fighting to keep their children, born and unborn (Burman, 1998). Whilst these criticisms of western feminist raise questions about how and why the priorities of the issues and campaigns these women cho (o)se to think and act on were agreed, they do not suggest an alternative account of inequality in which the public and private oppression of women is explained (Seidman, 1994). Critics are however right to point out that the feminist account of patriarchy developed by western liberal feminists needs to be expanded to ensure that the experiences of more women can be included but they must also acknowledge that the priorities and concerns of liberal feminists have resulted in some of the most far reaching and important education and legal reforms of this century taking place in the last the last twenty years. These reforms particularly reflect the western feminist concern with differential relationships. In the area of social policy and the law, reformers have begun to focus on protecting the individual rights of vulnerable household members  ¡V women, children, and the elderly (MacLean Kurczewzki 1994) at the expense of patriarchal privilege. Crucially, whilst the law has become aware of the potential for the exploitation of family members and in acting underlines the importance of public attitudes and legislation in maintaining gender inequalities and differential relationships; the reform approach cannot be seen as an open acknowledgement that socialisation patterns and family arrangements are male dominated (MacLean Kurczewzki 1994). Following the vote of the General Synod in 1992, the ordination of women in the Church of England has challenged hundreds of years of patriarchal authority and tradition in the church. The implicit relationship between individual men and institutions can be viewed explicitly in the complex provision made to protect those who are individually opposed using the church ¡Ã‚ ¦s own structures. Regardless of the refusal of key patriarchal institutions to acknowledge the extent to which man have been and are systematically and deliberately privileged by their structures and actions, these dominant forms of power can help produce social change, even if they are only attempting to keep in touch with contemporary society (Cooper, 1995). The process of power is therefore open to change and feminist theorists have shown using their account of patriarchy that the  ¡Ã‚ ¥by products ¡Ã‚ ¦ of power (e.g., inequality) can be mediated by the institution which represents it and moderated to be less damaging to individuals (Cooper, 1989).